I believe Cordoba is 'Sent to Flanders' along with the troops. I think he has a % chance of disappearing but it must be pretty high because he always seems to go after a few months in Frankfurt. And this is also a good reason to avoid buying replacements for Spanish troops at this point in the game since you are rebuilding units that are likely to disappear before you get any use out of them.

"The Hanged Man is a representative of humanity who is found between two kingdoms - that of this world and that of heaven."